AUBURN, Ala. – After nearly a three-week break from action, the 31st-ranked Auburn women's tennis team returns to the courts Friday morning at the 72nd annual Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic, just down the road in Montgomery.
The Tigers (6-1) will take on Arizona (5-3) in the first round of the tournament with the match set to begin at 9 a.m. CT at Lagoon Park. They will then face either SMU (7-1) or No. 19 Wake Forest (6-1) in the second match later Friday, which could be played at Lagoon Park or the O'Connor Tennis Center.
"The girls love this tournament," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "They've been talking about it for weeks. I've never played or coached in it, so it's going to be a new experience for me.
"There's a lot of Auburn fans in Montgomery, there's a lot of support for the tournament. It attracts great competition, and when you have such a strong field, that attracts more spectators as well. Our previous matches prepared us well for the Blue-Gray, and the Blue-Gray will prepare us for the SEC season, too."
Other teams in the field include Alabama (9-1), No. 5 Princeton (7-1), South Alabama (5-3), and Yale (6-2).
Auburn enters the tournament on a four-match winning streak after victories over Georgia State, Alabama A&M and Memphis the weekend of Feb. 1-2. Senior Taylor Russo is ranked 78th nationally in singles with a 3-1 record in dual matches and a 13-3 overall mark. In doubles, Russo and freshman Selin Ovunc are the nation's ninth-ranked tandem with a 6-1 dual mark and 14-3 overall record.
Arizona is coming off a pair of home wins last weekend over New Mexico State and Santa Clara. The Wildcats have faced two SEC teams already, dropping a 7-0 decision to Texas A&M and falling 5-2 to Arkansas earlier in the season.
Last year at the Blue-Gray, the Tigers went 2-1 on the weekend, falling to No. 13 Oklahoma State before bouncing back with wins over Fresno State and No. 43 Alabama. Auburn won the Blue-Gray Classic in 2017.
Live scoring, tournament draws, and tournament information are available at BlueGrayTennis.com. Admission to all matches is free, as is admission to the Kids' Tennis Festival at 9 a.m. Saturday at Lagoon Park.
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